Nigeria lost out in
the final seconds
against Burkina
Faso as Alain
Traore claimed a
share of the spoils to cancel
out Emmanuel
Emenike's first- half strike. The Super Eagles returned to the
Nations Cup stage against the
Stallions of Burkina Faso and had
the early running, going close in
the seventh minute when Brown
Ideye looked in on goal, but the situation was rescued by Bacary
Kone. But Nigeria's goal came in the
23rd minute when a good ball
from Mikel Obi floated beyond the
Stallions' defence and Ideye's
back-heeled pass was bundled in
by Emmanuel Emenike. Ogude was yellow-carded in the 24th minute
for a foul on Jonathan Pitroipa
and Efe Ambrose received the
second caution of the game for a
foul on Bonce, before Ahmed
Musa's shot was easily gathered by Abdoulaye Soulama. The Stallions pushed forward for
an equaliser straight from the
second-half restart, as Dagano
went close but failed to convert.
A few minutes later, Pitroipa went
down in the box, asking for a penalty, but the referee waved
play on. Burkina Faso continued to push
forward through substitute
Wilfred Sanou on the right wing
and Dagano tested Vincent
Enyeama on 62 minutes, but the
keeper parried for a corner kick. Ikechukwu Uche came on for
Emenike in the 57th minute and
should have scored in the 65th
off a cut-back from Musa, but
the player blasted way off
target. Ambrose was then shown a
second yellow on 73 minutes for a
slight - and seemingly innocuous -
touch on Pitroipa, and the Celtic
defender was given his marching
orders. Stephen Keshi brought on
Kenneth Omeruo for Ideye to fill
the vacated right-back slot as
Uche had another chance, but
blasted over the bar once again. Thereafter it was a tense affair
with the Eagles keen to keep
their advantage and the Stallions
pressing forward their numerical
supremacy. Mikel Obi had a chance to settle
the tie in the 87th minute but
blasted wide and all the missed
chances came back to bite the
Eagles as substitute Traore
snatched a point with the last kick of the game, in a 94th
minute scramble. The Burkinabes will next contend
with the determined Walya
Antelopes of Ethiopia while the
Super Eagles must find a way
around the Chipolopolo of Zambia
on Friday at the Mbombela Stadium. All four teams are on a point each
with one goal for and one
conceded.